Variety brings spice to St. Charles school's holiday mart

The gymnasium of Bell-Graham Elementary School in St. Charles became a Sugar Plum Holiday Market Saturday as more than 60 vendors sold homemade candy, candles, stockings and other holiday items as part of a fund-raiser for the school.

The Sugar Plum Holiday Market was sponsored by the Bell-Graham Parent Teacher Organization, which raises money from vendor fees then turns proceeds over to the school for the purchase of educational items.

Paula Stopen of Campton Hills, an event organizer and mother of a Bell-Graham second-grader, said this year's market was larger than in years past.

"We decided to expand this year," Stopen said. "I'm an avid crafter and I think variety is the key. I went to a lot of shows and invited people who had quality items."

Those items included fleece scarves Kirby Birdsong, a fifth-grade student and Bell-Graham, crafted with her mother.

There was jewelry, perfume and cosmetics, along with children's furniture, including step stools that could be personalized with the child's name.

Parents or grandparents could weigh the consequences of buying a baking kit for a child that made green pizza with purple sauce.

But Julie Small of St. Charles was sticking with something more conventional: a child's cupcake baking kit for her ten-year-old niece.

"She loves to bake and it's a good way for her to get some hands-on experience," Small said. "There's a lot of variety here, they've done a good job of mixing up ideas."

The event also included a raffle and a bake sale.